Description
Overview
Rogowski coils have been used for the detection and measurement of electric currents for decades. They are based on a simple principle: an “air-cored” coil is placed around the conductor in a toroidal fashion and the magnetic field produced by the current induces a voltage in the coil. The voltage output is proportional to the rate of change of current. This voltage is integrated, thus producing an output proportional to the current.
By using precision winding techniques, especially developed for the purpose, the coils are manufactured so that their output is not influenced by the position of the conductor within the toroid, and to reject interference from external magnetic fields caused, for example, from nearby conductors. Basically, a Rogowski coil current measuring system consists of a combination of a coil and conditioning electronics. Rogowski coil current transducers are used for the AC measurement.
They can be used in similar circumstances to current transformers but for many applications they have considerable advantages:
- Wide dynamic range. The same coil can be used to measure currents from mA to several kA, it is enough to change the RC value in the integrator.
- High linearity. According to the manufacturing (size, inductance value, …) the maximum measurable frequency can range up to hundreds of kHz and in some special models also MHz.
- Very useful with large size or awkward shaped conductors or in places with limited access. Thanks to the structure without hard core, the coil can be easily manufactured according to the application or to the available space.
- Unlike traditional current transducers, there is no danger from open-circuited secondary terminals.
- They cannot be damaged by large overloads.
- They are non-intrusive. They draw no power from the main circuit carrying the current to be measured.
- They are also light weighted and in some applications are light enough to be suspended on the conductor being measured.
The transducer does not measure direct currents but, unlike a current transformer, it can carry out accurate measurements of AC component even if there is a large superimposed DC component, since there is no iron core causing saturation. This feature is particularly useful for measuring ripple currents for example in battery charging systems.
